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Monday, 21 June 2010

The Silver Britannia

Silver Britannia…

The Silver Britannia an iconic one ounce silver bullion coin minted by the Royal Mint and sort after by collectors the world over, this silver bullion coin has been in production since 1997 and is released in either a silver proof or a brilliant uncirculated version (no proof versions released in 1999,2000 and 2002). A four coin silver proof set is also released by the mint which features a one ounce, half ounce, tenth of an ounce and a twenth of an ounce coins, the coins are held inside a wooden presentation case and come with a certificate of authenticity. Each Britannia weighs 32.45 grams and is 40mm in diameter, these silver bullion coins have a silver purity of .958 the other .42 being made up of copper (copper is added to the silver to give hardness to the coins as silver is a soft metal and easily damaged), other national mints release their silver bullion in .999 or .9999 silver purity. Whether you buy Britannia’s or Maple’s or even Eagle’s you still get a full one ounce silver bullion coin.

Britannia Designs… There have been a number of different Britannia designs for the coins since 1997 the first of which featured the standing Britannia with a trident and shield in hand, this particular design has been repeated five more times since which where in 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006. The 1999 coin featured Britannia riding in a chariot with trident in hand this design was also repeated again in 2009, the 2001 design depicts Una and the lion standing with large shield and trident, the 2003 design depicts the head of Britannia wearing a helmet in a striking poses, the 2005 design depicts Britannia sitting with large shield bearing the Union Flag as well as the usual trident in hand, the 2007 coin design depicts Britannia with large shield bearing the Union Flag with a lion at her feet. The 2008 design depicts Britannia on the beach with giant waves and a lighthouse in the background while she holds the familiar trident in her hand, the 2010 design depicts the head and shoulders of Britannia wearing a Corinthian style helmet.

Mintage Figures…Below is a list of the different Designs of Britannia's that are available and the mintage figures for each year, on average about 100,000 silver bullion coins and a further 2,500 silver proof coins are minted each year (but this can vary from one year to the next).